Machala is a coastal city in the south of Ecuador, where an unusual educational event began today: “Pedagogical Encounter on the Road to a humanising school management and pedagogical practice”. Uncommon, not only because of its title, but also because of its hopeful boldness. Uncommon because it is convened by the education system itself, through the authorities and officials of this Educational District of the country, which brings together 2,500 teachers.
Uncommon because the meeting opens a “space for the exchange of experiences of 17 directors and 4 teachers”, around three axes related to “personal and social transformation, the gaps and challenges of the 21st century and the contributions to support learning and the socio-emotional well-being of students”.
At the inauguration, the director of District 07D02, Carlos Gonzaga, explained that “a Humanist Education means installing not only in thought, but also in the heart”, with a pedagogy inspired by the principle “I treat others as I would like to be treated”.
The meeting takes place during the 8th, 9th and 10th of February with the methodology of “Dialogue tables” and the support of 12 guest speakers, national and international, who bring their reflections and proposals. Among others: “La fiesta solidaria de las letras, un método lúdico- narrativo para la enseñanza de la lectoescritura, basado en la metodología de la coherencia” (The solidarity party of letters, a ludic – narrative method for teaching reading and writing, based on the methodology of coherence), by the Chilean educator and artist, Marcela Latorre; “La enseñanza de la lectura y escritura en el Programa de Apoyo Escolar (The teaching of reading and writing in the School Support Programme), by the pedagogue Yajaira Terán; “Educar para pensar” (Educating to think), by the teacher Lourdes Cuéllar, from the UNAM of Mexico; “The keys to intentional learning and brain gymnastics to humanise education”, by the Ecuadorian psycho-pedagogue Carmen Alcívar, the “Validity of Paulo Freire’s contributions for a humanising education”, by the Ecuadorian educator Carlos Crespo; “Science as a tool for social transformation and development”, by the Vice-Rector of Research, Development and Innovation of the Technical University of Machala.
Educational advisor Fredy Figueroa, one of the main organisers of the event, explains where this initiative came from: “The District Directorate has been developing a system of training activities aimed at managers and teachers, with the direction of the team of educational advisors, with a view to strengthening pedagogical leadership, “tutoring action” and promoting the application of new active methodologies, which allow new pedagogical practices to be lived in the classroom from a humanising school management of education, in line with the curricular pedagogical guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education in the Coast region in 2022.”
